🧠 Early-Life Infections & Autism Risk: New Mechanistic Insights

Presenter: Dr. Manuel F. López Aranda (University of Málaga, Spain)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation (Virtual)
Title: Severe postnatal infections increase autism risk in genetically predisposed males: Mechanistic and therapeutic implications

🔬 Presentation Highlights
∙ Focus: How early-life immune activation interacts with genetic vulnerability to increase autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk.
∙ Genetic Context: Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) — a disorder with 40–60% ASD prevalence compared to 1–2% in the general population.
∙ Key Finding (Preclinical Model): Early postnatal immune challenges caused profound social memory deficits and atypical communication specifically in male Tsc2+/- mice.
∙ Mechanism Identified: Dysregulated mTOR-dependent interferon signaling and microglial dysfunction drive sex-specific neurodevelopmental changes.
∙ Therapeutic Breakthrough: Rapamycin treatment both prevented and durably reversed social deficits in genetically vulnerable males.
∙ Genetic Protection: Deletion of interferon receptor IFNAR1 protected against immune-induced behavioral impairments.
∙ Human Data Validation: Analysis of 3+ million medical records revealed that severe early-life infections requiring hospitalization significantly increased ASD risk in boys, but not girls.
∙ Clinical Implications: Highlights potential therapeutic strategies targeting mTOR and interferon pathways in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

👨‍🔬 About the Speaker
Dr. Manuel F. López Aranda, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Researcher at the University of Málaga (Spain) under the Beatriz Galindo Program.
∙ Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Málaga
∙ Postdoctoral Training at UCLA; served as Assistant Project Scientist
∙ Research Expertise: Neurobiology of learning & memory, microglia, immune activation in ASD and Alzheimer’s disease
∙ Published in leading journals including Science, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, and Science Advances
∙ Internationally recognized for translational research bridging genetics, immunology, and neurodevelopment

🔗 Join the Conference
Event: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026
📍 Singapore & Online

🌐 Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/
📝 Submit Abstract: https://addiction.miconferences.com/abstract-submission
🎟 Register: https://addiction.miconferences.com/register

Be part of global discussions on neuroscience, psychiatry, addiction medicine, and innovative therapeutic strategies shaping the future of mental health research.

#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealth #PsychiatryConference #NeuroscienceResearch #AutismResearch #ASD #Neurodevelopment #mTOR #Microglia #Immunology #BrainHealth #TranslationalResearch #GlobalConference #SingaporeConference #MedicalResearch #Psychiatry2026 #NeuroImmunology #ASDResearch #MentalHealthAwareness #MiConferences

Enhancing Access to Addiction Care: A Quality Improvement Approach

🎤 Poster Presentation
Presenter: Dr. Andrew Peh Lai Huat
Affiliation: Changi General Hospital, Singapore
Title: Quality Improvement Project: Enhancing Access to Addiction Services for Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

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🔍 Presentation Highlights
• Focus: Addressing the under-detection and under-treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) among hospitalized patients.
• Background: AUD prevalence among hospitalized patients ranges from 7.4% to 48%, significantly higher than in the general population, yet referrals to addiction services remain low.
• Objective: To improve referral rates of patients with alcohol use disorder from the Gastroenterology ward to addiction counseling services.
• Methodology:
– Baseline analysis showed only 25 referrals between June 2022 and June 2023.
– Implemented a Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework.
– Intervention focused on educating junior doctors about the importance of early referral.
• Results:
– Achieved a 32% increase in referral rates from July 2023 to July 2024.
– Total referrals increased to 33 cases post-intervention.
• Conclusion:
– The project demonstrated the effectiveness of interdepartmental collaboration.
– Highlights how targeted education can significantly enhance patient access to addiction services and overall quality of care.

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👨‍⚕️ About the Speaker
Dr. Andrew Peh Lai Huat is a Senior Consultant in the Department of Psychological Medicine at Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
• Medical degree and Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) from the National University of Singapore.
• Fellow of the Academy of Medicine (Singapore).
• Programme Director of the CGH Assessment and Shared Care Team (ASCAT), a community mental health initiative.
• Clinical Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.
• Senior Clinical Lecturer at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
• Faculty member for the National Psychiatry Residency and SingHealth Family Medicine Residency programs.

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🔗 Join the Conference
Event: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026
📍 Singapore & Online
🌐 Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/
📝 Submit Abstract: https://addiction.miconferences.com/abstract-submission
🧾 Register: https://addiction.miconferences.com/register

#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealthConference #PsychiatryConference #AlcoholUseDisorder
#QualityImprovement #AddictionServices #PublicHealth #CommunityMentalHealth
#PosterPresentation #HealthcareInnovation #SingaporeConference #HybridConference
#MentalHealthCare #AddictionResearch #MIconferences

Enhancing Access to Addiction Services in Hospital Settings

Presenter: Dr. Gabriel Ong Rui Ming
Affiliation: Changi General Hospital, Singapore
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Title: Quality Improvement Project:Enhancing Access to Addiction Services for Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

🔬 Presentation Highlights
∙ Public Health Focus: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains significantly under-detected and under-treated among hospitalized patients, despite prevalence rates ranging from 7.4% to 48%.
∙ Clinical Gap Identified: AUD is often overlooked in restructured hospitals, leading to missed opportunities for timely intervention.
∙ Objective: To improve referral rates of patients with alcohol use disorder from the Gastroenterology ward to addiction counselling services.
∙ Methodology: Applied the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework.
∙ Baseline Data: Only 25 referrals were made between June 2022 and June 2023 prior to intervention.
∙ Intervention: Targeted education of junior doctors on early identification and referral of patients with potential AUD.
∙ Results: Achieved a 32% increase in referral rates from July 2023 to July 2024 (33 total cases).
∙ Conclusion: Demonstrates the power of interdepartmental collaboration and education in improving addiction care pathways and patient outcomes.

👨‍⚕️ About the Speaker
Dr. Gabriel Ong Rui Ming is a psychiatric doctor with nearly a decade of experience in psychiatry. He is currently practicing at Changi General Hospital, Singapore, with a strong interest in addiction services, hospital psychiatry, and quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care.

🔗 Join the Conference
Event: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health andPsychiatry
📅 Dates: March 23–25, 2026
📍 Venue: Singapore & Online
🌐 Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/
🧠 Submit Abstract: https://addiction.miconferences.com/abstract-submission
📝 Register Now: https://addiction.miconferences.com/register

#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealthConference #Psychiatry #AlcoholUseDisorder #QualityImprovement #AddictionServices #HospitalPsychiatry #MentalHealthAwareness #PublicHealth #PsychiatryConference #SingaporeConference #HealthcareInnovation
#MentalHealth2026 #MathewsConferences

Reducing Suicide Risk Through Targeted Pharmacological Strategies

Speaker: Thanompong Sathienluckana
Siam University, Thailand
Session Type: Oral Presentation 
Talk Title: Pharmacological pathways for suicide reduction inpsychiatric patients

🧠 Session Overview
∙ A Critical Global Issue: Suicide remains a leading cause of death globally, with over 700,000 deaths each year and a strong association with psychiatric disorders.
∙ Understanding the Biology: This talk explores key neurobiological mechanisms involved in suicidality, including serotonin dysregulation, neuroinflammation, reduced BDNF, and HPA-axis hyperactivity.
∙ Current Treatment Gaps: Despite advances in psychiatry, no medication is specifically approved for acute suicidal crises—highlighting the need for optimized pharmacotherapy.
∙ Risk-Focused Management: Emphasis on addressing contributory factors such as sleep problems, substance use, medication non-adherence, comorbid illnesses, and psychosocial stressors.
∙ Evidence-Based Medications:
– Clozapine: Proven to lower suicide risk in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, with effects beyond antipsychotic action.
– Lithium: Demonstrates robust anti-suicidal benefits in mood disorders, independent of mood stabilization.
– Ketamine & Intranasal Esketamine: Rapid-onset reduction of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation in treatment-resistant depression.
– SSRIs: Effective in reducing suicide risk in adults and older populations, with age-specific considerations in younger patients.
∙ Clinical Insight: Highlights the importance of correct dosing, continuity of treatment, and close monitoring to prevent relapse and suicidality.

👨‍⚕️ Meet the Speaker
Thanompong Sathienluckana, PharmD, BCP, serves as Associate Dean for Academic Services at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Siam University, and Academic Chair of the Pharmacotherapy Council of Thailand.
∙ Clinical pharmacist at Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry, Bangkok
∙ Specialist in neurologic and psychiatric pharmaceutical care
∙ PharmD graduate from Srinakharinwirot University
∙ Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy

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International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026
📍 Singapore & Online
📝 Register Now: https://addiction.miconferences.com/register

#MentalHealth2026 #AddictionMedicineConference #PsychiatryResearch #SuicidePrevention #Psychopharmacology #ClinicalPharmacy #GlobalMentalHealth #EvidenceBasedCare #SingaporeEvents #HealthcareInnovation #MICONFERENCES #MentalHealthProfessionals #RecoveryPathways #SingaporeConference #HybridConference #MIC2026

Healing at the Root: Emotional Regression as a Transformative Clinical Tool

🎙️ Keynote Speaker Feature: Aaron Olson
Program Director, Cirque Lodge, United States
📌 Session Format: Oral Presentation (Onsite & Virtual)
📘 Session Title: WalkingBackwards: Using Emotional Regression as a Therapeutic Entry Point in SubstanceUse Disorders, Anger, and Grief

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🧠 Session Overview & Key Insights

▪ Central Theme: Re-envisioning emotional regression as a clinical opportunity that opens pathways to deep healing.
▪ Clinical Relevance: Highlights how substance dependence, persistent anger, and unresolved grief often stem from early relational trauma and emotional injury.
▪ Conceptual Integration: Draws from psychoanalytic foundations, family systems theory, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).
▪ Therapeutic Strategy: Demonstrates how accessing regressive emotional states helps clinicians move past cognitive defenses to reach core developmental wounds.
▪ Applied Techniques: Family identity mapping, genograms, guided imagery, somatic awareness, and narrative repair.
▪ Trauma-Sensitive Practice: Emphasizes safety, containment, and non-retraumatizing interventions.
▪ Clinical Impact: Supports improved emotional regulation, increased psychological flexibility, and strengthened self-compassion.
▪ Practice in Action: Case vignettes illustrating effective regression-focused interventions in SUD, anger, and grief treatment.
▪ Key Message: Regression work is a gateway to sustainable recovery—not an endpoint.

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👨‍⚕️ Speaker Profile

With more than three decades of experience in behavioral health, Aaron Olson has been a cornerstone of Cirque Lodge since 2009. His career spans juvenile justice, inpatient psychiatry, residential and outpatient addiction treatment, and community mental health settings.

▪ Expertise in substance use disorders and family systems therapy
▪ Strong ACT-based clinical framework
▪ Special interests include intergenerational trauma, clinician burnout, compassion fatigue, and emotional regression
▪ National speaker on advanced therapeutic approaches
▪ Program Director of Cirque Lodge’s Lodge Program
▪ Faculty member, University of Utah – College of Social Work, Substance Abuse Counseling Program

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🌐 Be Part of the Global Conversation

📍 InternationalConference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026
📌 Singapore & Online
🔗 Conference Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/

#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealth2026 #PsychiatryConference #TraumaHealing #SubstanceUseTreatment #ACTTherapy #BehavioralHealthExperts #FamilySystems
#GriefCounseling #AngerManagement #MentalWellbeing #ClinicalInnovation
#HybridConference #SingaporeEvents #MIC2026

Integrated Care for Youth with Disruptive Behavior Disorders & Cannabis Use Disorder

Presenter: Tammy Seeker, D.S.W., LCSW, LCDC
(Angelo State University, United States)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Title: The Assessment and Treatment ofDisruptive Behavior Disorders Comorbid with Cannabis Use Disorder

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🔍 Presentation Highlights
∙ Focus: Understanding the complex co-occurrence of disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) among youth.
∙ Clinical Challenge: Youth with DBDs + CUD face elevated risks of family conflict, academic failure, and juvenile justice involvement.
∙ Assessment Tools: Use of structured interviews, behavior checklists, and validated substance use screeners for accurate diagnosis.
∙ Risk Framework: Examination of biopsychosocial risk factors influencing comorbidity and treatment outcomes.
∙ Evidence-Based Treatments:
 – CBT: Enhances emotion regulation and problem-solving skills.
 – MST: Reduces delinquency and substance use through family and peer system interventions.
 – MI: Builds motivation and readiness for change.
 – Contingency Management: Demonstrates effectiveness in reducing cannabis use.
∙ Key Insight: Integrated, multisystemic, and family-involved approaches yield the strongest outcomes.
∙ Future Impact: Early, coordinated intervention leads to reduced recidivism and improved long-term functioning.

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👩‍⚕️ About the Speaker
Tammy D. Seeker, D.S.W., LCSW, LCDC, is an Adjunct Instructor and Program Coordinator at Angelo State University.
∙ Doctorate in Social Work from Angelo State University.
∙ Extensive clinical and administrative experience in behavioral health, substance use treatment, and criminal justice.
∙ Research interests include justice-involved youth, integrated substance use treatment in hospital settings, and workforce development in social services.

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Event: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health andPsychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026
📍 Singapore & Online
🌐 Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/

#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealthConference #PsychiatryConference #SubstanceUseDisorder #CannabisUseDisorder #BehavioralHealth #YouthMentalHealth #EvidenceBasedPractice #CBT #MultisystemicTherapy #MotivationalInterviewing #JusticeInvolvedYouth #MentalHealthProfessionals #SingaporeConference #HybridConference #MIConferences

Overdose Data to Action: Using Health Informatics to Drive Addiction Prevention

Presenter: Prof. Sue Feldman, RN, MEd, PhD, FACMI 
(University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation (In-Person / Online)
Title: Overdose data to action: Toward addiction prevention usingdata in Alabama

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🔍 Presentation Highlights
∙ Focus: Leveraging overdose surveillance and health informatics to inform addiction prevention strategies.
∙ Challenge: Despite reduced opioid prescriptions, overdose deaths in Alabama continue to rise.
∙ Approach: Sequential monthly data collection from 11 stakeholder groups, emphasizing peer navigation as a key linkage to care.
∙ Data Strategy: Aggregation by ZIP code to identify high-need areas and guide targeted interventions.
∙ Community Impact:
– 38 community & faith-based events reaching ~12,000 individuals
– 1,589 linkages to care through peer navigation
– 75% of attendees at events received direct services
∙ Surveillance Success: Hospital participation increased to 93 out of 94, supported by enhanced data visualization.
∙ Prevention & Harm Reduction:
– 3,000+ naloxone kits distributed across 94 ZIP codes
– 21,000+ harm reduction service encounters
– 600+ trainings on fentanyl test strip usage
∙ Policy & Practice: Improved PDMP participation with 400+ additional prescribers and hospital-based clinical alerts.
∙ Outcome: Demonstrates the power of data-driven, community-centered, and iterative approaches to addiction prevention.

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👩‍⚕️ About the Speaker
Prof. Sue Feldman is a Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in Health Informatics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
∙ Internationally recognized expert in health information systems for social good
∙ Research funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, CDC, and CMS
∙ Recipient of Changemaker in Health, Mentor of the Year, and Faculty Innovator of the Year awards
∙ Graduate of Claremont Graduate University

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🔗 Join the Conference
Event: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health andPsychiatry
📅 March 23–25, 2026 | 📍 Singapore & Online
🌐 Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/

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#AddictionMedicine #MentalHealthConference #Psychiatry2026 #OverdosePrevention #PublicHealth #HealthInformatics #OpioidCrisis #HarmReduction #Naloxone #DataDrivenHealth #GlobalHealth #SingaporeConference #AddictionResearch #MentalHealthAwareness #HealthcareInnovation